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Greg Steube back with gun bills for 2018 Session

Senate Judiciary Chairman Greg Steube, who filed a string of firearm-related bills that died during the 2017 legislative session, has reintroduced two — focused on courthouses and private businesses — as lawmakers begin submitting bills for the 2018 Session.

The Sarasota Republican filed one measure (SB 134) on Thursday that would allow people with concealed-weapons licenses to store firearms with security officers at courthouses. A similar proposal was approved during the 2017 Session by the Senate in a 19-15 vote. But the House never brought it up on the floor as other bills backed by Second Amendment advocates failed to advance out of the Senate.

Steube’s second proposal (SB 120), filed Wednesday, would allow private businesses to be held liable if they bar concealed-weapons license holders from carrying guns on their property and the license holders get injured by other people or animals.

Similar legislation filed for the 2017 Session was not heard in committees.